BF Goodrich to scale back

By Matt Hawk,Staff Writer

Published: Friday, October 24, 2008 at 7:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 24, 2008 at 7:51 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing will temporarily lay off several hundred employees effective Nov. 1 and significantly scale back tire production over the next eight weeks, union and company officials said Friday.

Dexter Beams, vice president of United Steel Workers Local 351L, said the company plans to idle 40 percent of its 1,282 workers and is seeking volunteers for the layoffs. He said the exact workers to be laid off will be announced Tuesday.

“We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when,” Beams said. “We’ll work with the company to try to get through these tough times.”

Lynn Slovak, spokeswoman for BFGoodrich-Michelin, confirmed that a temporary staff reduction would take place, but could not confirm the number of workers affected. She said the layoffs come in response to the weakening global economy.

“This is not unique to just our plants,” Slovak said. “It’s a tough time, nobody out there will deny that.”

The announcement followed a two-day series of meetings that concluded Friday in Atlanta between Michelin leaders and representatives of the United Steel Workers to discuss possible shifts in work schedules.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing will temporarily lay off several hundred employees effective Nov. 1 and significantly scale back tire production over the next eight weeks, union and company officials said Friday.</p><p>Dexter Beams, vice president of United Steel Workers Local 351L, said the company plans to idle 40 percent of its 1,282 workers and is seeking volunteers for the layoffs. He said the exact workers to be laid off will be announced Tuesday. </p><p> We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when, Beams said. We’ll work with the company to try to get through these tough times. </p><p>Lynn Slovak, spokeswoman for BFGoodrich-Michelin, confirmed that a temporary staff reduction would take place, but could not confirm the number of workers affected. She said the layoffs come in response to the weakening global economy.</p><p> This is not unique to just our plants, Slovak said. It’s a tough time, nobody out there will deny that. </p><p>The announcement followed a two-day series of meetings that concluded Friday in Atlanta between Michelin leaders and representatives of the United Steel Workers to discuss possible shifts in work schedules.</p>